Sexist Attitudes Among Emerging Adult Women Readers of Fifty Shades Fiction

Altenburger, Lauren E.; Carotta, Christin L.; Bonomi, Amy E.; Snyder, Anastasia

doi:10.1007/s10508-016-0724-4

Original Paper
Published: 11 April 2016

Sexist Attitudes Among Emerging Adult Women Readers of Fifty Shades Fiction

Lauren E. Altenburger¹,
Christin L. Carotta²,
Amy E. Bonomi² &
Anastasia Snyder¹

Archives of Sexual Behavior volume 46, pages 455–464 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Stereotypical sexist representations of men and women in popular culture reinforce rigid views of masculinity (e.g., males as being strong, in control, masterful, and aggressive) and femininity (e.g., women as being fragile and weak, unassertive, peaceful, irrational, and driven by emotions). The present study examined associations between the fictional series Fifty Shades—one popular culture mechanism that includes pervasive traditional gender role representations—and underlying sexist beliefs among a sample of 715 women ages 18–24 years. Analyses revealed associations between Fifty Shades readership and sexism, as measured through the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory. Namely women who reported reading Fifty Shades had higher levels of ambivalent, benevolent, and hostile sexism. Further, those who interpreted Fifty Shades as “romantic” had higher levels of ambivalent and benevolent sexism. Our findings support prior empirical studies noting associations between interacting with aspects of popular culture, such as television and video games, and individual beliefs and behaviors.

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Authors and Affiliations

Human Development and Family Science Program, Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Campbell Hall, Room 135, 1787 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
Lauren E. Altenburger & Anastasia Snyder
Human Development and Family Studies, College of Social Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
Christin L. Carotta & Amy E. Bonomi

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Lauren E. Altenburger
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Christin L. Carotta
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Amy E. Bonomi
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Anastasia Snyder
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Correspondence to Lauren E. Altenburger.

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Altenburger, L.E., Carotta, C.L., Bonomi, A.E. et al. Sexist Attitudes Among Emerging Adult Women Readers of Fifty Shades Fiction. Arch Sex Behav 46, 455–464 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0724-4

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Received: 11 August 2014
Revised: 24 January 2016
Accepted: 23 February 2016
Published: 11 April 2016
Issue Date: February 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0724-4

Keywords

Media
Sexism
Gender socialization
Emerging adults
Romance